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  1. Buurman J, Zhang S, Babovic V
    Risk Anal, 2009 Mar;29(3):366-79.
    PMID: 19076327 DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2008.01160.x
    Complex engineering systems are usually designed to last for many years. Such systems will face many uncertainties in the future. Hence the design and deployment of these systems should not be based on a single scenario, but should incorporate flexibility. Flexibility can be incorporated in system architectures in the form of options that can be exercised in the future when new information is available. Incorporating flexibility comes, however, at a cost. To evaluate if this cost is worth the investment a real options analysis can be carried out. This approach is demonstrated through analysis of a case study of a previously developed static system-of-systems for maritime domain protection in the Straits of Malacca. This article presents a framework for dynamic strategic planning of engineering systems using real options analysis and demonstrates that flexibility adds considerable value over a static design. In addition to this it is shown that Monte Carlo analysis and genetic algorithms can be successfully combined to find solutions in a case with a very large number of possible futures and system designs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis*
  2. Tan DT, Siri JG, Gong Y, Ong B, Lim SC, MacGillivray BH, et al.
    Global Health, 2019 12 18;15(1):85.
    PMID: 31847865 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-019-0527-1
    BACKGROUND: Localisation is a pervasive challenge in achieving sustainable development. Contextual particularities may render generalized strategies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) unfeasible, impractical, or ineffective. Furthermore, many localities are resource- and data-poor, limiting applicability of the global SDG indicator framework. Tools to enable local actors to make sense of complex problems, communicate this understanding, and act accordingly hold promise in their ability to improve results.

    AIM: Systems approaches can help characterise local causal systems, identify useful leverage points, and foster participation needed to localise and catalyse development action. Critically, such efforts must be deeply rooted in place, involving local actors in mapping decision-processes and causation within local physical, social and policy environments. Given that each place has a unique geographical or spatial extent and therein lies its unique characters and problems, we term these activities "placially explicit." We describe and reflect on a process used to develop placially explicit, systems-based (PESB) case studies on issues that intersect with and impact urban health and wellbeing, addressing the perspectives of various actors to produce place-based models and insights that are useful for SDG localisation.

    METHODS: Seven case studies were co-produced by one or more Partners with place-based knowledge of the case study issue and a Systems Thinker. In each case, joint delineation of an appropriate framing was followed by iterative dialogue cycles to uncover key contextual factors, with attention to institutional and societal structures and paradigms and the motivations and constraints of other actors. Casual loop diagrams (CLDs) were iteratively developed to capture complex narratives in a simple visual way.

    RESULTS: Case study development facilitated transfer of local knowledge and development of systems thinking capacity. Partners reported new insights, including a shifting of problem frames and corresponding solution spaces to higher systems levels. Such changes led partners to re-evaluate their roles and goals, and thence to new actions and strategies. CLD-based narratives also proved useful in ongoing communications.

    CONCLUSION: Co-production of PESB case studies are a useful component of transdisciplinary toolsets for local SDG implementation, building the capacity of local actors to explore complex problems, identify new solutions and indicators, and understand the systemic linkages inherent in SDG actions across sectors and scales.

    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis*
  3. Asmalia Che Ahmad, Normazlina Mohamed Zi, Ismail Bahari, Azizah Jaafar
    MyJurnal
    Safety Intervention Need Analysis System (SINAS) is a web-based safety management program that aspires the identification for the need of construction safety intervention. It can be accessed through the website www.sinas.org. This first phase of SINAS project development only focus on safe design intervention. SINAS was created to provide assistance for safety practitioners in identifying the need of safe design intervention. This was put forward through the investigations of construction accidents that relate to design. The SINAS process of need analysis are carved up to six steps i.e. user information, accident details, accident evaluation, result of the need analysis, construction design intervention and safety intervention need analysis report. At the end of the process, Safety Intervention Need Analysis Report will be generated. This report is an essential document to proof the need of safe design intervention. Additionally, SINAS also offers recommendations for construction designers and professionals on suitable safe design intervention to prevent construction accidents and minimises construction risks.
    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
  4. Thatcher A, Yeow PH
    Ergonomics, 2016;59(2):167-78.
    PMID: 26307437 DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2015.1066876
    Sustainability issues such as natural resource depletion, pollution and poor working conditions have no geographical boundaries in our interconnected world. To address these issues requires a paradigm shift within human factors and ergonomics (HFE), to think beyond a bounded, linear model understanding towards a broader systems framework. For this reason, we introduce a sustainable system of systems model that integrates the current hierarchical conceptualisation of possible interventions (i.e., micro-, meso- and macro-ergonomics) with important concepts from the sustainability literature, including the triple bottom line approach and the notion of time frames. Two practical examples from the HFE literature are presented to illustrate the model. The implications of this paradigm shift for HFE researchers and practitioners are discussed and include the long-term sustainability of the HFE community and comprehensive solutions to problems that consider the emergent issues that arise from this interconnected world.
    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis*
  5. Newell B, Siri J
    Environ Int, 2016 10;95:93-7.
    PMID: 27553880 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.08.003
    Cities are complex adaptive systems whose responses to policy initiatives emerge from feedback interactions between their parts. Urban policy makers must routinely deal with both detail and dynamic complexity, coupled with high levels of diversity, uncertainty and contingency. In such circumstances, it is difficult to generate reliable predictions of health-policy outcomes. In this paper we explore the potential for low-order system dynamics (LOSD) models to make a contribution towards meeting this challenge. By definition, LOSD models have few state variables (≤5), illustrate the non-linear effects caused by feedback and accumulation, and focus on endogenous dynamics generated within well-defined boundaries. We suggest that experience with LOSD models can help practitioners to develop an understanding of basic principles of system dynamics, giving them the ability to 'see with new eyes'. Because efforts to build a set of LOSD models can help a transdisciplinary group to develop a shared, coherent view of the problems that they seek to tackle, such models can also become the foundations of 'powerful ideas'. Powerful ideas are conceptual metaphors that provide the members of a policy-making group with the a priori shared context required for effective communication, the co-production of knowledge, and the collaborative development of effective public health policies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis*
  6. Zairina Ibrahim, Md Gapar Md Johar
    MyJurnal
    The process of software development life cycle (SDLC) is an important element of development phases to develop the application. In fact, there are needs to upgrade the sequence of methodology in software development. Thus, the SDLC is very crucial in order for them to ensure the quality of skills is placed accordingly in the workflow. This research contributes to the development of a new approach in system development workflow with the aim to properly manage system development projects. It started by providing some background data related to the previous mode of operation in the teamwork samples as shared by the stakeholders of the transformation projects and the new proposed Analysis System Development Framework (ASDF) method team members. Then, the key findings related to steps of software development such as (1) input for User Requirement Specification (URS) and (2) System Requirement Specification (SRS), (3) process for module, (4) process for database, (5) process for User Acceptance Testing (UAT) (6) output for Final Acceptance Testing (FAT) and empowerment for the whole level based on ASDF method. This paper contribution significantly to support the perception of high quality of skills in a teamwork, results in better performance of software development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
  7. Elmqvist T, Siri J, Andersson E, Anderson P, Bai X, Das PK, et al.
    Sustain Sci, 2018;13(6):1549-1564.
    PMID: 30546487 DOI: 10.1007/s11625-018-0611-0
    Cities are currently experiencing serious, multifaceted impacts from global environmental change, especially climate change, and the degree to which they will need to cope with and adapt to such challenges will continue to increase. A complex systems approach inspired by evolutionary theory can inform strategies for policies and interventions to deal with growing urban vulnerabilities. Such an approach would guide the design of new (and redesign of existing) urban structures, while promoting innovative integration of grey, green and blue infrastructure in service of environmental and health objectives. Moreover, it would contribute to more flexible, effective policies for urban management and the use of urban space. Four decades ago, in a seminal paper in Science, the French evolutionary biologist and philosopher Francois Jacob noted that evolution differs significantly in its characteristic modes of action from processes that are designed and engineered de novo (Jacob in Science 196(4295):1161-1166, 1977). He labeled the evolutionary process "tinkering", recognizing its foundation in the modification and molding of existing traits and forms, with occasional dramatic shifts in function in the context of changing conditions. This contrasts greatly with conventional engineering and design approaches that apply tailor-made materials and tools to achieve well-defined functions that are specified a priori. We here propose that urban tinkering is the application of evolutionary thinking to urban design, engineering, ecological restoration, management and governance. We define urban tinkering as:A mode of operation, encompassing policy, planning and management processes, that seeks to transform the use of existing and design of new urban systems in ways that diversify their functions, anticipate new uses and enhance adaptability, to better meet the social, economic and ecological needs of cities under conditions of deep uncertainty about the future.This approach has the potential to substantially complement and augment conventional urban development, replacing predictability, linearity and monofunctional design with anticipation of uncertainty and non-linearity and design for multiple, potentially shifting functions. Urban tinkering can function by promoting a diversity of small-scale urban experiments that, in aggregate, lead to large-scale often playful innovative solutions to the problems of sustainable development. Moreover, the tinkering approach is naturally suited to exploring multi-functional uses and approaches (e.g., bricolage) for new and existing urban structures and policies through collaborative engagement and analysis. It is thus well worth exploring as a means of delivering co-benefits for environment and human health and wellbeing. Indeed, urban tinkering has close ties to systems approaches, which often are recognized as critical to sustainable development. We believe this concept can help forge much-closer, much-needed ties among engineers, architects, evolutionary ecologists, health specialists, and numerous other urban stakeholders in developing innovative, widely beneficial solutions for society and contribute to successful implementation of SDG11 and the New Urban Agenda.
    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
  8. Cimr D, Fujita H, Tomaskova H, Cimler R, Selamat A
    Comput Methods Programs Biomed, 2023 Feb;229:107277.
    PMID: 36463672 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2022.107277
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nowadays, an automated computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) is an approach that plays an important role in the detection of health issues. The main advantages should be in early diagnosis, including high accuracy and low computational complexity without loss of the model performance. One of these systems type is concerned with Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and seizure detection. We designed a CAD system approach for seizure detection that optimizes the complexity of the required solution while also being reusable on different problems.

    METHODS: The methodology is built-in deep data analysis for normalization. In comparison to previous research, the system does not necessitate a feature extraction process that optimizes and reduces system complexity. The data classification is provided by a designed 8-layer deep convolutional neural network.

    RESULTS: Depending on used data, we have achieved the accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of 98%, 98%, and 98.5% on the short-term Bonn EEG dataset, and 96.99%, 96.89%, and 97.06% on the long-term CHB-MIT EEG dataset.

    CONCLUSIONS: Through the approach to detection, the system offers an optimized solution for seizure diagnosis health problems. The proposed solution should be implemented in all clinical or home environments for decision support.

    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
  9. Lai WX, Chan AW, Matchar DB, Ansah JP, Lien CTC, Ismail NH, et al.
    BMC Geriatr, 2023 Sep 22;23(1):586.
    PMID: 37740182 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04294-2
    BACKGROUND: Falls in older adults are the result of a complex web of interacting causes, that further results in other physical, emotional, and psychological sequelae. A conceptual framework that represents the reciprocal dynamics of these causal factors can enable clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to clarify goals in falls intervention in older adults.

    METHODS: A Group Model Building (GMB) exercise was conducted with researchers and clinicians from academic units and public healthcare institutes in Singapore. The aim of the exercise was to produce a shared visual representation of the causal structure for falls and engage in discussions on how current and future falls intervention programmes can address falls in the older adults, especially in the Asian context. It was conducted in four steps: 1) Outlining and prioritising desirable patient outcomes, 2) Conceptual model building, 3) Identifying key intervention elements of effective falls intervention programmes, 4) Mapping of interventions to outcomes. This causal loop diagram (CLD) was then used to generate insights into the current understanding of falls causal relationships, current efforts in falls intervention in Singapore, and used to identify gaps in falls research that could be further advanced in future intervention studies.

    RESULTS: Four patient outcomes were identified by the group as key in falls intervention: 1) Falls, 2) Injurious falls, 3) Fear of falling, and 4) Restricted mobility and life space. A CLD of the reciprocal relationships between risk factors and these outcomes are represented in four sub-models: 1) Fear of falling, 2) Injuries associated with falls, 3) Caregiver overprotectiveness, 4) Post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological resilience. Through this GMB exercise, the group gained the following insights: (1) Psychological sequelae of falls is an important falls intervention outcome. (2) The effects of family overprotectiveness, psychological resilience, and PTSD in exacerbating the consequences of falls are not well understood. (3) There is a need to develop multi-component falls interventions to address the multitude of falls and falls related sequelae.

    CONCLUSION: This work illustrates the potential of GMB to promote shared understanding of complex healthcare problems and to provide a roadmap for the development of more effective preventive actions.

    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
  10. Abdul-Rahman H, Berawi MA
    Qual Assur, 2001;9(1):5-30.
    PMID: 12465710
    Knowledge Management (KM) addresses the critical issues of organizational adoption, survival and competence in the face of an increasingly changing environment. KM embodies organizational processes that seek a synergistic combination of the data and information processing capabilities of information and communication technologies (ICT), and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings to improve ICT In that role, knowledge management will improve quality management and avoid or minimize losses and weakness that usually come from poor performance as well as increase the competitive level of the company and its ability to survive in the global marketplace. To achieve quality, all parties including the clients, company consultants, contractors, entrepreneurs, suppliers, and the governing bodies (i.e., all involved stake-holders) need to collaborate and commit to achieving quality. The design based organizations in major business and construction companies have to be quality driven to support healthy growth in today's competitive market. In the march towards vision 2020 and globalization (i.e., the one world community) of many companies, their design based organizations need to have superior quality management and knowledge management to anticipate changes. The implementation of a quality system such as the ISO 9000 Standards, Total Quality Management, or Quality Function Deployment (QFD) focuses the company's resources towards achieving faster and better results in the global market with less cost. To anticipate the needs of the marketplace and clients as the world and technology change, a new system, which we call Power Quality System (PQS), has been designed. PQS is a combination of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings to meet the challenges of the new world business and to develop high quality products.
    Publication year= 2001 Jan-2002 Mar
    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
  11. Mohd Yusoff MI
    Comput Math Methods Med, 2020;2020:9328414.
    PMID: 33224268 DOI: 10.1155/2020/9328414
    Researchers used a hybrid model (a combination of health resource demand model and disease transmission model), Bayesian model, and susceptible-exposed-infectious-removed (SEIR) model to predict health service utilization and deaths and mixed-effect nonlinear regression. Further, they used the mixture model to predict the number of confirmed cases and deaths or to predict when the curve would flatten. In this article, we show, through scenarios developed using system dynamics methodology, besides close to real-world results, the detrimental effects of ignoring social distancing guidelines (in terms of the number of people infected, which decreased as the percentage of noncompliance decreased).
    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
  12. Kosiyaporn H, Julchoo S, Phaiyarom M, Sinam P, Kunpeuk W, Pudpong N, et al.
    Glob Health Res Policy, 2020 12 08;5(1):53.
    PMID: 33372646 DOI: 10.1186/s41256-020-00181-0
    BACKGROUND: In addition to healthcare entitlements, 'migrant-friendly health services' in Thailand include interpretation and cultural mediation services which aim to reduce language and cultural barriers between health personnel and migrants. Although the Thai Government started implementing these services in 2003, challenges in providing them still remain. This study aims to analyse the health system functions which support the interpretation and cultural mediation services of migrant health worker (MHW) and migrant health volunteer (MHV) programmes in Thailand.

    METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted in two migrant-populated provinces using purposive and snowball sampling. A total of fifty key informants were recruited, including MHWs, MHWs, health professionals, non-governmental organisation (NGO) staff and policy stakeholders. Data were triangulated using information from policy documents. The deductive thematic analysis was classified into three main themes of evolving structure of MHW and MHV programmes, roles and responsibilities of MHWs and MHVs, and supporting systems.

    RESULTS: The introduction of the MHW and MHV programmes was one of the most prominent steps taken to improve the migrant-friendliness of Thai health services. MHWs mainly served as interpreters in public facilities, while MHVs served as cultural mediators in migrant communities. Operational challenges in providing services included insufficient budgets for employment and training, diverse training curricula, and lack of legal provisions to sustain the MHW and MHV programmes.

    CONCLUSION: Interpretation and cultural mediation services are hugely beneficial in addressing the health needs of migrants. To ensure the sustainability of current service provision, clear policy regulation and standardised training courses should be in place, alongside adequate and sustainable financial support from central government, NGOs, employers and migrant workers themselves. Moreover, regular monitoring and evaluation of the quality of services are recommended. Finally, a lead agency should be mandated to collaborate with stakeholders in planning the overall structure and resource allocation for the programmes.

    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
  13. Kinzie JD
    Am J Psychother, 1972 Apr;26(2):220-31.
    PMID: 5024276
    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
  14. Choy YC
    Med J Malaysia, 2006 Dec;61(5):577-85.
    PMID: 17623959
    Critical incident monitoring in anaesthesia is an important tool for quality improvement and maintenance of high safety standards in anaesthetic services. It is now widely accepted as a useful quality improvement technique for reducing morbidity and mortality in anaesthesia and has become part of the many quality assurance programmes of many general hospitals under the Ministry of Health. Despite wide-spread reservations about its value, critical incident monitoring is a classical qualitative research technique which is particularly useful where problems are complex, contextual and influenced by the interaction of physical, psychological and social factors. Thus, it is well suited to be used in probing the complex factors behind human error and system failure. Human error has significant contributions to morbidities and mortalities in anaesthesia. Understanding the relationships between, errors, incidents and accidents is important for prevention and risk management to reduce harm to patients. Cardiac arrests in the operating theatre (OT) and prolonged stay in recovery, constituted the bulk of reported incidents. Cardiac arrests in OT resulted in significant mortality and involved mostly de-compensated patients and those with unstable cardiovascular functions, presenting for emergency operations. Prolonged-stay in the recovery extended period of observation for ill patients. Prolonged stay in recovery was justifiable in some cases, as these patients needed a longer period of post-operative observation until they were stable enough to return to the ward. The advantages of the relatively low cost, and the ability to provide a comprehensive body of detailed qualitative information, which can be used to develop strategies to prevent and manage existing problems and to plan further initiatives for patient safety makes critical incident monitoring a valuable tool in ensuring patient safety. The contribution of critical incident reporting to the issue of patient safety is far from clear and very difficult to study. Efforts to do so have tended to rely on incident reporting, the only practical approach when funding is limited. The heterogeneity of critically ill patients as a group means that huge study populations would be required if other research techniques were to be used. In the era of evidence-based medicine, anaesthetists are looking for alternative evidence-based solutions to problems that we have accepted traditionally when we cannot quantify for good practical reasons. In the quest for patient safety, investment should be made in reliable audit, detection and reporting systems. The growing recognition that human error usually result from a failure of a system rather than an individual should be fostered to allow more lessons to be learnt, an approach that has been successful in other, safety-critical industries. New technology has a great deal to offer and investment is warranted in novel fail-safe drug administration systems. Last but not the least the importance of simple and sensible changes and better education should be remembered.
    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
  15. Pocock NS, Chan Z, Loganathan T, Suphanchaimat R, Kosiyaporn H, Allotey P, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(4):e0231154.
    PMID: 32251431 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231154
    BACKGROUND: Cultural competency describes interventions that aim to improve accessibility and effectiveness of health services for people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Interventions include interpreter services, migrant peer educators and health worker training to provide culturally competent care. Very few studies have focussed on cultural competency for migrant service use in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Migrants and refugees in Thailand and Malaysia report difficulties in accessing health systems and discrimination by service providers. In this paper we describe stakeholder perceptions of migrants' and health workers' language and cultural competency, and how this affects migrant workers' health, especially in Malaysia where an interpreter system has not yet been formalised.

    METHOD: We conducted in-depth interviews with stakeholders in Malaysia (N = 44) and Thailand (N = 50), alongside policy document review in both countries. Data were analysed thematically. Results informed development of Systems Thinking diagrams hypothesizing potential intervention points to improve cultural competency, namely via addressing language barriers.

    RESULTS: Language ability was a core tenet of cultural competency as described by participants in both countries. Malay was perceived to be an easy language that migrants could learn quickly, with perceived proficiency differing by source country and length of stay in Malaysia. Language barriers were a source of frustration for both migrants and health workers, which compounded communication of complex conditions including mental health as well as obtaining informed consent from migrant patients. Health workers in Malaysia used strategies including google translate and hand gestures to communicate, while migrant patients were encouraged to bring friends to act as informal interpreters during consultations. Current health services are not migrant friendly, which deters use. Concerns around overuse of services by non-citizens among the domestic population may partly explain the lack of policy support for cultural competency in Malaysia. Service provision for migrants in Thailand was more culturally sensitive as formal interpreters, known as Migrant Health Workers (MHW), could be hired in public facilities, as well as Migrant Health Volunteers (MHV) who provide basic health education in communities.

    CONCLUSION: Perceptions of overuse by migrants in a health system acts as a barrier against system or institutional level improvements for cultural competency, in an already stretched health system. At the micro-level, language interventions with migrant workers appear to be the most feasible leverage point but raises the question of who should bear responsibility for cost and provision-employers, the government, or migrants themselves.

    Matched MeSH terms: Systems Analysis
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